Breakdown: This is easily the most wide-open weight in the region, and probably the deepest. Layton upset both Kinner and Bergamo to win District 31 and Siegfried has the experience having placed fourth last year. Tolbert is hot at the right time. White is strong on top, which bodes well as the tournament gets harder, but he lost to Cedar Creek’s Andrew Solomon in the District 32 finals. Duca has been right there with Siegfried, who beat Kinner, who has beaten Layton earlier this year, who just beat Bergamo, who beat Washington Township’s Dom Pataky. Confused? So are we. We’re taking Bergamo on a hunch.

113

Our pick: Patrick D’Arcy, Holy Spirit

In the running: Zach Firestone, Clearview

Dark horse: Eric Pruszinski, Lower Cape May

Breakdown: This is a two-horse race, but it’s a welcome one. Any wrestling fan would be perfectly content to watch the likes of D’Arcy and Firestone have at it all day. Last year’s Region 8 final at 106 pounds was an epic between them, with Firestone pulling it out. But D’Arcy avenged that loss in the state tournament. Both have improved and this year’s edition of this rivalry. should it happen, should be just as good.

120

Our pick: John Amato, Timber Creek

In the running: no one

Dark horse: The field

Breakdown: This is Amato’s weight. The other district champs, Buena’s Luis Rivera, Paulsboro’s Mike Morina and Delsea’s Tom Carney, are all talented enough to contend, but Amato has been here and won it before. There are some deeper seeds that are capable of rising up as well, such as West Deptford’s Griffin Bonner and Washington Township’s Mike VanHorn. The battle behind Amato should be intense.

126

Our pick: Sam Morina, Paulsboro

In the running: Mike VanBrill, Clearview

Dark horse: Stanley Atkinson, Kingsway

Breakdown: One of the most anticipated finals is also one of the most likely to happen. The battle for third should be a lot of fun to watch though. Morina, the top seed, pinned VanBrill in the District 29 finals. It was the Clearview sophomore’s first loss of the year, so he’ll be coming back with a vengeance. Even with the recent victory by Morina, this is a coin flip and could be another epic final.

132

Our pick: Anthony Racobaldo, Williamstown

In the running: Juan Rivera, Paulsboro; Newt Richardson, Schalick

Dark horse: Ed Donahue, St. Augustine

Breakdown: Racobaldo actually placed second in District 30 due to an illegal slam that forced Timber Creek’s Blaine Shade to retire from the match. But Shade was unable to continue the tournament, so Racobaldo holds on to his No. 2 seed and gets the bye to Friday. He looks to be on a fast track to a meeting with Rivera in the finals. Richardson is the third seed and Racobaldo’s likely opponent in the semifinals, but the junior has pinned Richardson in each of their last two meetings. Rivera is a returning region finalist, but few wrestlers in South Jersey have been as good as Racobaldo this year. Rivera vs. Donahue, should it happen in the semifinals, should also be a good match. With a solid four-deep weight like this, make sure to be around for the semis.

138

Our pick: Ronnie Gentile, Paulsboro

In the running: no one

Dark horse: no one

Breakdown: With all due respect to the rest of the wrestlers in the bracket, Gentile should cruise, he's that elite. The battle behind him could be tight, starting with a nice quarterfinal matchup between Buena’s Chaz Bramble and Delsea’s John Pierson, a pair of district champions. If there is a dark horse, it’s just for the podium, and that would be Millville’s Zach Goranson, who has only wrestled six matches this year and still working back up to full strength following a knee injury suffered just before the season started.

145

Our pick: John VanBrill, Clearview

In the running: No one

Dark horse: Brandon Bower, Holy Spirit; John Lado, Gloucester

Breakdown: VanBrill has been an excellent wrestler for the duration of his career, but this season, he’s elevated himself to elite status. There is no reason to think the senior can be slowed down, probably until a couple of rounds into the state tournament in Atlantic City. Behind VanBrill is an interesting group of wrestlers vying for a spot on the boardwalk. Bower is the No. 2 seed by virtue of a win in the District 32 finals over St. Augustine’s Jarred Hodges. Lado is a 100-match winner with some big names in his win column. Kingsway’s Rory Bushby has been limited with a hip injury, but he wrestled well at districts and could be getting hot at the right time. The battle for second and third is the real interesting fight here.

152

Our pick: Jack Clark, St. Augustine

In the running: Ed Lenkowski, Clearview

Dark horse: no one

Breakdown: Behind the top two is a slew of talented wrestlers, but let the facts speak for themselves. Together, the top seeds, Clark and Lenkowski are 47-0. Clark is nationally ranked, but Lenkowski is confident, strong and wrestling great right now. It’s Clark’s weight to lose, but Lenkowski isn’t going to let him have it easily. Even though most people (outside Clearview) would agree Clark is the favorite, this is still one of the most-anticipated finals, simply because Clark hasn’t been given much competition since sitting out 30 days after transferring from McDonogh, a Maryland boarding school, in October.

Breakdown: This is an open weight class. Clark took the top seed with a win in the District 32 finals over Ingersol, who owns two close wins over Cutugno this year. McMahon has been hot and confidence is a major factor the deeper you get in the tournament. Nolan and Woodstown’s Dakota Gomeringer are both capable of winning the weight as well. Gomeringer and McMahon will wrestle in the quarterfinals on Friday and the winner of the that could have Ingersol in the semifinals. Every step is a potential pitfall for the half dozen wrestlers who have the skills to win it.

170

Our pick: Kellen Whitney, Hammonton

In the running: Nick Rodriguez, Clayton

Dark horse: Connor Dixon, Millville; Joe Sindoni, Clearview

Breakdown: Whitney, the top seed, is a big favorite here, but Rodriguez is also undefeated. They seem destined to meet in the finals, so the battle is probably for third. Dixon has been hot, but Sindoni has a knack for pulling out tight matches, even though Rodriguez won, 4-3, in the District 29 final.

182

Our pick: Cooper Gallagher, Ocean City

In the running: Christian LaFragola, St. Joseph; James Bennett, St. Augustine; Victor DeFrance, Delsea

Dark horse: Taiwahn Cosby, Vineland

Breakdown: Gallagher earned the top seed with Bennett falling in at No. 2 DeFrance is third and has a tough draw in the quarterfinals with LaFragola. All four of them are easily capable of standing atop the podium when it’s all said and done, and, unfortunately, a very good wrestler is not going to advance. Cosby has shown a ton of potential since his freshman year and could pounce at any moment. But the top four have certainly separated themselves from the field here. Cooper gets the nod by virtue of a win over Bennett, who owns two wins over DeFrance.

195

Our pick: Ed Shockley, Millville

In the running: Cory Damiana, Lower Cape May

Dark horse: none

Breakdown: One of the most anticipated finals of the tournament, Shockley, the No. 1 seed, and Damiana, the No. 2 seed, are a combined 67-0 this year. Shockley beat Damiana twice last season, but both wrestlers have improved immensely as seniors, so this really becomes a tossup. Shockley’s best win was 3-2, over Shawnee’s Alex Foley, while Damiana notched a 6-5 win over Holy Cross’ Matt Correnti. Damiana has wrestled the tougher individual schedule, but it’s hard to overlook the heads up wins by Shockley.

220

Our pick: Bryan Dobzanski, Delsea

In the running: no one

Dark horse: no one

Breakdown: You’d be hard-pressed to find a more dominant wrestler in the state over the last two years, so it’s easy to see this is a battle for second and third. Dobzanski pinned his way to the state finals as a junior, and it looks like there is little to stop him from doing the same as he tries to become Delsea’s third two-time state champion.

Breakdown: Lynd is a dark horse simply because Randall, his quarterfinal opponent, has had his number over the last two seasons. But everyone knows heavyweight is hard to predict, and this is a very deep field. Allan Westenberger of Gloucester is capable of winning against anyone in the bracket and even the likes of Maquay Richmond of Cumberland gets better each time he steps on the mat. Dooley scored two points, combined, in his final two bouts en route to a District 31 title, so he hasn’t exactly been dominant to earn his top seed. Jackson hasn’t lost to anyone in the bracket.